00:00 [ Music ]
00:16 >> Our people feel both hopeless and helpless.
00:19 We must all demand greater transparency
00:21 in the government's core controls.
00:23 [ Explosion ]
00:29 >> And it's cinema liaise season once again.
00:31 And you just saw, what you just saw is the documentary Maria,
00:35 which is one of the entries in the full-length category.
00:38 It follows the story of three women named Maria
00:41 who experienced struggles and challenges
00:43 amid former President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war.
00:46 To tell us more about this documentary,
00:49 we do have in the studio the director, Shea Andes.
00:52 And good morning to you, director.
00:53 Congratulations.
00:54 >> Thank you.
00:55 And good morning, of course.
00:56 >> I mean, okay, so before that, that's basically three Marias.
01:01 >> Yes.
01:02 >> Right?
01:02 So why three Marias?
01:04 How did you find the Marias?
01:07 Go, go, tell us about this documentary.
01:09 >> Well, yeah, we started with one Maria.
01:12 So my producer started filming it in 2016.
01:15 She's named Maria.
01:17 >> Okay.
01:17 >> And then we went back, I think he went back 2017,
01:21 and I came on board.
01:23 And actually, we were brainstorming about this,
01:26 but COVID happened, so we came back 2021.
01:30 And then throughout the years, they became three.
01:35 We covered also the elections,
01:38 and then another Maria found us when I was filming it,
01:44 so they became three.
01:45 When I initially pitched it, it was only two,
01:48 and then about to finish, now it's three Maria.
01:51 Well, I started doing this one
01:56 because I wanted to know the lives of the families.
02:01 So it's not just numbers in the statistics right now.
02:04 It's 30,000 families or even more.
02:08 So we went back, know what's happening with them already.
02:15 So I hope what they are doing now
02:20 >> And I guess also, having been out in the field,
02:25 as I read about you, you've been like 10 years
02:29 doing community service, community development, right?
02:31 And so you seem to have this pulso,
02:34 or the touch of understanding the lives of so many people.
02:39 The research that you must have done on this was immense.
02:44 How difficult or easy would that have been?
02:49 >> Well, it's not a walk in the park.
02:51 >> Yes, yes, yes.
02:52 >> Definitely.
02:53 But prior to embracing filmmaking,
02:56 I was part of the civil society work,
02:59 so the human rights work is not new to me.
03:03 So I'm just translating it visually right now
03:06 in terms of my vision and telling also the story of the marginalized.
03:10 I think that's also the function or the power of documentaries right now.
03:16 >> And speaking of documentary, you are a big fan.
03:20 We absolutely love your documentary.
03:22 This is actually your first full-length documentary film,
03:26 first ever documentary film to be part of Cinemalaya.
03:31 I mean, a lot of firsts for you. Congratulations.
03:33 What is it about documentary that attracted you so,
03:37 enough for you to say, you know, I want to go back and I want to study
03:40 and I want to make documentaries?
03:43 >> Well, yes, really. I went to film school
03:46 because I really wanted to learn how to make documentaries.
03:50 So I'm a fan of Ramona Diaz and Dixit Carolino.
03:53 But then I think in fiction, they all wanted authenticity.
04:00 You have to act like this.
04:02 It should look, I mean, authentic and original, something like that.
04:07 But in documentary, it's there.
04:09 It's just, well, it needs or it requires a lot of patience
04:15 because these are real people and not actors.
04:20 But I think in here, I mean, we have really great documentary filmmakers.
04:29 I hope that now there's opening doors, especially for Cinemalaya.
04:34 >> Yeah. Hopefully you can start the trend.
04:36 You can be the first one once again to say, you know,
04:39 it is possible for a documentary to join all of these major film festivals
04:45 that we have here in the country.
04:48 What is it also about doing documentaries
04:55 that the people should also understand about
04:59 and what led it to Cinemalaya, this documentary of yours?
05:03 You said 2016, you had all of these video footages, you came on,
05:09 but you weren't initially planning to submit this to Cinemalaya.
05:14 >> Yes, because for documentary filmmakers here, we usually pitch it abroad.
05:19 And it just so happened when we read thoroughly the guidelines for Cinemalaya,
05:24 oh, they're open for documentary, why not try?
05:27 So I think you just need to break boundaries to make it happen, I think.
05:32 >> There you go.
05:33 So as we look forward to when is this, August 4 to the 13th at the PICC,
05:39 what is the one thing that us as viewers, when we do view the documentary, Maria,
05:44 what is the one thing that you would like us to see and to take home?
05:49 >> Well, I'm telling the story of three people, of three women,
05:54 but actually we're looking at the story of our country.
05:57 I think that's basically what I wanted to tell.
06:00 >> As they are in search for truth and justice and whatever.
06:05 Well, we wish you all the best.
06:06 >> Thank you.
06:07 >> Thank you so much, Tanekshi, for being with us and for this wonderful docu, so timely.
06:12 >> Exactly, so timely.
06:14 >> As we were talking before we went on air, and of course, all the best to you.
06:18 Congratulations once again.
06:19 So Cinemalaya, August 4 to the 13th at the PICC.
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